Escape from Planet De'lquoid
by danceoftheheart
Summary: This is the prequel to Wake-up Call.


**Wake Up Call:**

**Part 1**

**Escape from Planet De'lquoid**

* * *

BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ. BUZZZZZZ BUZZZZZZZ BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

I was hearing buzzing. High pitched buzzing in my ear. What was going on? I wondered. Why was everything so blurry? Why did I feel so sick to my stomach? Oh, god, the lights were so bright! Blinding me with their harsh hitting rays.

Where was I?

Where was I?

A soft voice at my elbow made me jump. "Are you okay?"

I turned suddenly. A woman was standing in the doorway of the tiny room, with hair the colour of cotton candy dipped in black paint. She smiled at me but I could see the fear in her eyes. "What is this place? Where am I?" I asked her, hoping she'd unwittingly give me the information I needed.

She blinked. I'd surprised her. I watched as she tried to think up an appropriate, believable lie. "You're-you're at-"

I didn't let her finish. I had no time for lies. "Never mind. Who are you?"

She jumped at my ferocious tone. "I'm-I'm Gretchen. Don't you remember? I just-" she gestured with the needle in her hand and my eyes narrowed cunningly.

"So, you're the one who did this to me. You're the one."

"Did what to you?" It was only then that she realized that she was still clutching the evidence of her dastardly deed in her sweaty, pink palm. "Oh…right…see, the doctor told me I had to give you a shot. You know to help you. He said he has to operate-"

"Operate!" I happened to look down at that moment and spied the tray filled with instruments of torture resting against my chest. "What kind of vile sick place is this?" I flung the tray away from me with a mighty sweep of my arm. The tray went flying across the room and bumped into the wall. Strangely, I was weakened by the heroic show of force.

Apparently I'd annoyed Gretchen because she collected the tray while I was still too weak to fight back and wheeled it back to my side. "Now, now. Stop that. You almost spilled them all over the floor."

I gathered my strength to strike the tray a second time but the buzzing started again, nefariously spoiling my plan. "Wait!" I told her. "Shhhh! Do you hear that?" I lowered my voice and leaned into her as close as I could without falling off the chair.

She leaned in closer too and lowered her voice. "Hear what?"

"That. _Buzzing_!"

Again she blinked, pretending to be wide-eyed and confused. "Buzzing? All I hear is the-"

She was a good actress but I was not stupid enough to buy the crap she was peddling. "Stop it!" I ordered her.

"Stop what?"

I moaned. "That buzzing! That buzzing! Stop it!" Sympathy seeped into her features and I knew I'd reached her. I played to her heartstrings. "Please!" I begged. "I can't stand it! I can't-" I broke off pretending to sob. She was a good actress but I was better. I had reason to be. My life depended on it.

"Look…um…I think I better go get help-"

_Oh no. _ I realized in that instant that I'd carried my act too far. She was afraid. Afraid of what they'd do to her if they found out she'd helped me. The time for games was long past. I reached out a hand to her, caught her arm and pulled her close to me. "Wait, you can't leave me! You've got to help me!"

"OWwwww! Please! You're hurting my arm."

I loosed my hold. "I'm sorry, Gretchen!" I told her with deep regret. "Sometimes I just don't know my own strength. Damn these superpowers of mine! They've always been both a curse and a blessing." I leveled a charming smile at her. "You must help me. We've got to escape."

The poor creature was almost on the verge of tears. "But I don't want to escape. I'm happy here."

I tried to reason with her; to show her the way. "No, no, you just think you're happy here. They've brainwashed you. Come with me. You're one of us. I see there is still good in you. Turn back to the light, Gretchen. Turn back before it's _too late_." I would have said more but I could tell it was indeed too late. They'd broken her spirit. There was nothing I could do for her now. I had to save my strength. I had to think of the others.

She backed out of the room, inching step by step to the door. "I'll be right back, I promise. I'm just going to get somebody…Doctor? Dr. Beesley! I need you in exam room five."

Beesley. Of course. I should have known. Only he could be behind something so wicked; so foul! If Beezley was behind all of this, I knew where I was. I had be aboard the mother ship en route to Planet De'lquoid. I searched for my weapon and my communicator but found that they were missing. _Damn, they'd thought of everything! _Most likely stolen from my person while I was unconscious. For a brief moment, I felt the cold harsh grasp of desperation creep over me but I fought it back valiantly. I had no time for foolish fears. I had to escape and warn the others. The _survival_ of the earth _depended_ on it.

"Curses!" I cursed and tried to sit up. My head was spinning. Whatever vile drug they'd slugged into my system was wreaking havoc with my superpowers. I struggled to stand, making my way to my feet but it was a small victory as Gretchen was back and she'd brought with her the leader of the hive himself. They stood for a minute, buzzing in the doorway, conspiring in hissing little whispers and then approached me slowly.

"Sara? Is everything okay here?" Dressed in an unassuming technician's coat, Beezley smiled at me, perfect teeth gleaming under the hot lights. A clever disguise but I saw right through him. _No human could have teeth that perfect. T_hen I realized he'd addressed me by name. _My real name_.

Zounds! He'd found out my secret identity! "How do you know my name?" I demanded, my hand flying to my face in horror. I touched bare skin. I looked at Beezley in disgust. "You fiend! You've unmasked me!"

Gretchen tried to defend him from my wrath. "Your n-name is on your-your f-file."

I rounded on her and she jumped back. "You stay out of this you little sympathizer! I don't need help from your kind." I swung back to face down Beezley. "Your spies are clever but they are no match for me!"

"Now, Sara, just take it easy-" he stuttered, playing up the innocent act to the hilt, but I knew him for the evil, twisted, genius he was and I stood my ground.

He dared to make a step toward me. "Not so fast, villain. I'll kick your pointed little ass."

"My kind? What-what do you mean, my kind?" Gretchen sputtered, and started to sob.

"Shh, now, Gretchen, don't get all worked up! She doesn't know what she's saying-" Beezley took a step toward me. "Now, why don't you just sit down in that chair and we'll get this all sorted out, hmm?"

I raised my eyebrow knowingly. "That's just what you'd like me to do, isn't it?"

He sputtered like a fish. "Well, yes! Yes, it is!"

I pointed my finger regally at him. "You may collect honey but you don't fool me for an instant, you stupid excuse for an insect!"

"What?" Beezley asked, and shook his head.

"I heard you!"

"Heard what? Sara, please, I don't understand-"

I waved my hands grandly, stalking them around the room. "I heard the buzzing. You and your little hive slave. Making your invasion plans-"

Gretchen tossed her hands into the air but let out a scream when I moved in her direction. "See doctor, I told you! Completely flipped!"

"I WILL NOT BE YOUR DRONE!" I roared.

They backed away, conspiring again, not realizing I'd managed to break their code and could understand every word they said. "What the hell did you give her?"

"Just the usual medication, I swear!" said the little traitor to our kind.

I was incensed! I was outraged! "The usual medication? How many innocents have you destroyed?"

"What? None. None. Sara, please, you've got to calm down."

"Not while there is breath in my body. This ends here and this ends now." I grabbed one of the nozzles and sprayed the both of them with whatever wicked concoction lay in its tube. "Just call me the exterminator." I sneered as they sputtered. "It's a good thing for the world at large that I make house calls."

I raced out of the room and down the hall, realizing quickly from the sound of the buzzing that there must be more prisoners being held against their will. "_Do not fear,_" I shouted, "_I will come back for you!_" And raced off to save the world.

* * *

Grissom was being tortured.

He'd been stuck in the same sweaty little room with Ecklie and six other lab representatives for close to two hours. The monthly staff meeting was off at its usual stumbling gait. He was actually quite proud of himself. He'd made it through most of it without nodding off. Good thing. He was running out of excuses to explain when he did.

Just as Ecklie was pulling the file that contained his proposed budget for the next three months, Grissom's cell phone went off. With a gesture of apology to the other supervisors, he stood and walked out of the room so he could talk without interrupting the others.

"Dr. Grissom, sorry, um…this is Gretchen calling from Dr. Beezley's office."

The voice was thin and a little nervous, he thought, and not one he recognized. "I think you must have the wrong number. My doctor's name is…"

"Oh, sorry, I should have said, um, listen, does a Sara Sidle work for you?"

"Yes." His stomach jumped a little. Doctors and Sara were never a good combination.

"Oh good. I wasn't sure but you are listed as her emergency contact."

"Yes, that's correct, I am. What's wrong? Is she okay?"

"I'm _not_ really sure. Well, she _isn't_ but it's not serious. At least I don't _think_ it is. I mean, if we could _find_ her-"

"Excuse me? She's missing?"

"Look, I'm sorry to bother you but..but I'm calling because…um…see, we seem to have misplaced your employee."

"Sara. Sara's missing?"

"Yes. Yes, that's what I just said! We, um, oh I don't know what happened! The doctor said she needed a root canal, not a filling and Sara…Sara said she had the time and I gave her the anesthetic and…and I don't know what happened," The last bit had disintegrated to a wail. "She just went…she went bonkers!"

"Gretchen-"

"Accusing us of being bees! Scaring poor Dr. Beezley and me out of our wits. Threatening to kick his…well, you know what she wanted to kick! I've just…_I've never seen anything like it in all my days as a dental assistant."_

Grissom sighed. "Gretchen, if you consult her file she should have a medical note with regard to certain medication and anesthetics. They often times have unusual results."

"What we gave her was quite mild, and it's not supposed to have those kind of side effects."

There was a snarky defiance now coating her tone but having dealt with Sara in this state before, he supposed the nurse could hardly be held responsible. "Well, whether or not it's supposed to, it did. Look, give me the address. I'll be right there."

He strode back into the room, scribbled down the address Gretchen had given him and pushed in his chair. "Conrad, I've got to go. Now."

"We're not done here. Can't it wait?"

"No. It can't." With that, he gathered his things and left the room.

He dialed Brass' number as he collected his keys and headed for the parkade. "Jim? Gil. Apparently, Sara just took out a dentist office and no one knows where she is. I'm hoping you can give me a hand."

_Continued in Wake Up Call..._


End file.
